Many types of display boxes are known and provided with elements which retain and protect a container housed therein. Typically, the base of the container is kept raised from the base of the box to protect it from impact while transporting or storing the boxes. For example, EP-B-0642977 describes a box formed of a single piece of punched and crease-lined cardboard having projecting flaps at one end, these flaps being automatically folded about themselves (on shaping the box) to form supports which are partly glued onto the internal side walls of the box and which perform the function of keeping the container housed in the box and raised and spaced from the base of the box.
EP-A-0761550 describes a display box also formed of a single piece of punched and crease-lined cardboard. As in the prior art, the box has flaps projecting from the base, however, EP '550 differs in that one of the flaps is longer than the length of the box and is adhered to the inside wall of the box at a midway point of the flap and box, such that when the box is closed the parts of the flap that are not adhered fold into the box to form supports at the top and bottom of the container held therein. These boxes hold the container firmly in place, but do not prevent the container from rotating, which means that in some instances, the label on the container may not be shown in the window of the box. EP-A-1479614 describes an alternative box that purports to hold a cylindrical container in place, and prevent rotation of the container about a longitudinal axis. This is done by providing additional sections to the upper flaps with cut-outs provided therein, in which the top edge of the cylindrical container fit, thus preventing rotational motion of the container once in situ. As with EP '550, the container itself is sandwiched between folded portions of the flaps at the top and bottom of the container, suspending the container in position (and thus protecting it from impact).
While the prior art discussed many ways in which a cylindrical container can be kept in place in a display box without damage and without rotation, they all suffer some shortcomings. The present invention seeks to provide improved retention means for keeping a container held in the box in situ, while providing additional benefits, for example, flexibility to use the samebox for different sizes and/or shapes of container and an improved process for positioning a container inside the box.